Bible Reading Plan: Week 23

Oh, Solomon

Oh, Solomon. God had great plans for you and His people of Israel. He delighted in you and poured out His wisdom upon you (1 Kings 10:9). You shared with us in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes the “sayings of the wise” and taught us that true happiness is a life with God; everything else is meaningless (Ecclesiastes 1:12-14). Yet, despite all your wisdom and intellect, you faltered, just like every other human being.

You were tempted, just like we often are tempted in this world. You took pleasure in many foreign wives who led you to adopt their pagan religious practices. We, too, are tempted by many exotic pleasures, adopting a culture of always being entertained with nonstop worldly binging and smartphones with social media and games always within reach.

You strayed from God, just like we often stray and take our own path. Your half-hearted devotion to God led Israel astray and divided it into two nations. Is our same half-hearted devotion causing our families, our churches, our nation to be divided?

You let sin creep in your life, and you excused it away. We, too, let sin creep in our lives. How often do we excuse our sins knowing very well that even the tiniest of sins can take control of how we worship God, just like your life showed us?

Oh, Solomon. You were the wisest man to ever live (1 Kings 4:29-34). Thank you for all the advice you gave us in God’s Word, reminding us that “there is a time for everything” (Ecclesiastes 3). However, perhaps your legacy to us isn’t just your wisdom. Through your mistakes, you have showed us how temptation and sin can cause us to stray and move our focus away from spending time with God.

We must be on guard or sin will be our downfall like it was for you, Solomon (1 Kings 11:9-11). Through your trial and errors, we learn that we need to be wholly devoted to God and His plan for our lives. We must not allow sin or temptation to gain a foothold in our lives lest we be led astray. Our lives must set an example for the whole world to see today and for the generations who will follow us. May our lives lead people to know and see and experience God.

Oh, Solomon, you have taught us so much!

God, open our eyes to see our sins, both excused and unexcused, and our temptations. May we take this time to confess them to you and recommit to having wholly devoted hearts, living fully for you. Protect us when temptation strikes. Help us to not only know Your Word but also follow it and apply it daily to our lives and the decisions we make. Help us to not stray but remain faithful to the end.

“Listen to the words of the wise, apply your heart to my instruction.” Proverbs 22:17